Compressor for circle-combs.



v A. LONG. COMPRESSOR FOR CIRCLE GOMBS.

APPLIOATION IILED JULY 8,1909. RENEWED MAY 15, 1914. 1,1 01,496,, Patented June 23, 1914.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

mm co WASHINGTON, D. c,

A. LONG.

COMPRESSOR FOR CIRCLE OOMBS.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 8, 1909. RENEWED MAY 15, 1914. 1,101,496.

Patented June 23, 1914;

Zifirvesses f/% ED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ALBERT LONG, OF LAVVBENCE, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIG-NOR TO AMERICAN TEXTILE MACHINERY COMPANY, OF LYNN, MASSACHUSETTS, A CORPORATION OF MAINE.

COMPRESSOR FOR CIRCLE-COMES.

morass.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 23, 191%.

Application filed July 8, 1909, Serial No. 506,503. Renewed May 15, 1914. Serial No. 888,895.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALBERT LONG, of Lawrence, in the county of Essex and State of Massachusetts have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Compressors for Circle-Combs, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a compressor adapted to force wool into the circles of a circle combing machine such for example as the circle combs of the Noble type, although the invention is applicable to woolcombing machines of other types. I

The object of the invention is to eliminate the old dabbing brush and dabbing motion hitherto used with combing machines of this character and to substitute therefor a new device which is more positive in its action and by which a greater quantity of wool can be put in the circles and delivered from the latter to the drawing rolls, while the device is operated at a lower speed than heretofore.

More particularly the present invention is designed for use in a circle comb equipped with the Long-Foster rolls of the character illustrated in the patents granted to me jointly with Robert Foster, 606564, dated June 28, 1898, 679975, dated August 6, 1901 and 862,980, dated August 18, 1907. Rolls of this character are designed and adapted to take more wool than can be supplied by the previously employed dabbing motion.

Another object of the invention is to en able the compressing device to be driven with a minimum of power.

Further objects are to provide a yielding adjustable driving connection for the com pressor to enable the amount by which it compresses the wool in the circle to be varied and to guard against injury or breakage in case foreign matter lodges in the circles, and to enable the driving device for the compressor to be disconnected therefrom without altering the adjustment and tension of the driving mechanism in case it becomes necessary to lift the compressor out of the circles to remove foreign matter, straighten the pins or perform other acts.

A compressing device and'mechanism for operating the same in which my-invention is embodied and by which the above objects are carried into effect is illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

Figure 1 represents the front elevation of such an embodiment of the invention. Flg. 2 represents a side elevation of the same. Fig. 3 is an elevation of a portion of the compressor adapted to cooperate with the small circle. Fig. 4 is a plan view of a part of the circles showing the arrangement of the compressor blades between the pins thereof. Fig. 5 is a view showing one of the compressor blades in detail.

The same reference characters indicate the same parts in all the figures.

I designate by the numeral 1 a portion of the small circle or circular comb which is used in wool-combing machines of the Noble type and by the numeral 2 a portion of the large circle. These circular combs or circles are generally metal rings with pins projectlng upward and arranged in rows. As is well-known it is necessary to force the wool into the combs so that the wool may be acted on by the pins. My present invention is a device for thus acting upon the wool. It consists of a holder 3 by which a number of blades 4 are carried. The holder and blades together constitute a compressor of which the blades are arranged in alinement with the spaces between the rows of pins of the circles so as to force the wool into such spaces. The holder is carried by a tongue 5 at the lower end of a slide 6 which reciprocates between two guides 7 and 8 secured in an ordinary manner to a column 9. A stud or bolt 10 passes through the tongue 5 and holder 3 and a second stud 11 is rigidly secured to the holder 3 and projects parallel with the stud 10. The blades at have orifices alining with these studs so that they may be set upon them. Between the blades are alining or spacing plates 12 which for convenience I term liners or spacers. These spacers are of such thickness and used in suitable numbers so that they locate the blades at the exact position desired and preferably exactly centrally of the spaces or partitions between the rows of pins. In other words the spacers locate the blades so as to c rrespond with the set-over of the circles. The blades and spacers may vary in thickness according to the spaces they occupy. When once in place they are rigidly clamped to the holder by nuts 13 and 14 on the studs 10 and 11 respectively which crowd them against each other and the holder. Thus the members of which the compressor consists are adjustable so as to vary the distance between them, but at the same time are adjustable without looseness and when set up by the clamps are absolutely compact and rigid so that they may be run an indefinite length of time without becoming loosened.

Preferably the blades 4 are of steel and are attached at their upper edges to binders 16 of another metal, preferably brass which stiffen and strengthen the blades and fill the spaces between the alining plates. The blades and binders at one end have arms 17 which project forwardly and upwardly over the circles so as to guide the wool which is fed over the circles and press it to the depth necessary in order that the blades may act subsequently and force the wool a farther distance into the circles. Provision is made for adjusting the inclination of the blades relatively to the combs according to the character and quality of the wool acted upon by having the compressor mounted pivotally upon the tongue 5. For this purpose the stud 10 previously described serves as the pivot of the compressor and a third stud 18 passes through an car 19 of the holder into a slot 20 in the slide, The clamp on the stud 18 allows the compressor to be secured in any adjustment angularly about the stud 10 within the limits of the slot.

The compressor and its slide 6 are given a reciprocating movement in the guides 7 and 8 by means of connections driven by the main shaft 21 of the comb. Such connections include change gears 22, 23, a crank pin 24 on the gear 28, a connecting rod pivoted upon said crank pin and a slide bracket '26. The slide bracket is adjustable and yieldingly attached to the connecting rod by means of a cross-head 27 to which the connecting rod is pivoted by a wrist pin connection 28 and a spindle 29, the latter passing through a lip of the slide bracket 26 and through a stationary bracket 30 extending from the column 9. On the spindle 29 are adjustable abutments 31 and 32 on opposite sides of the sliding bracket 26 and between such abutments and the bracket are springs 33 and 34 respectively. Between the bracket and each spring is a counter-bored metal washer 85 to centralize the spring and a yielding washer 86 preferably of rubber. By shifting the abutments 31 and 32 the path which the sliding bracket travels may be varied and as this bracket is united to the holder by a connection presently to be described the path of the compressor may also be varied and the distance by which it is caused to enter between the pins and the circles may be varied. By this means the compressor may be caused to force the wool into the circles to the exact extent necessary in order that the wool may be brought to the center of the concave of the Long and Foster rolls. The springs enable the compressor to yield in case any of the blades strike any foreign matter or hard obstruction which may be fed with the wool to the circles so as to avoid injury either to the pins or the blades.

The connection between the sliding bracket 26 and the compressor slide 6 is made by a clamp rod 37 which passes through one of a number of holes of the sliding bracket and through a slot 38 in the slide 6. The end of this rod back of the slide is enlarged at 39 forming an abutment to bear against the back of the slide and on its forward end in front of the bracket 26 is a collar 40 beyond which is threaded a nut 41 having a'hand wheel 42. When the nut is screwed home the bracket and slide are clamped frictionally together so that the reciprocation of the bracket is imparted to the slide and compressor. 'The enlarged rear end of the clamp rod 37 is bored so as to pass over a guide rod 43 along which it travels when being reciprocated. Between the abutment 39 and abutments n, 45, in which the rod 43 is held are buffer springs 46 and 47 which act to bring the reciprocating parts yieldingly to rest at each end of their travel and impart an initial impulse thereto in the other direction.

The frictional action just described between the bracket 26 and compressor enables the compressor to be instantaneously disconnected from its driving mechanism whether it be stationary or in motion and permits it to be lifted out of the pin circles so that foreign matter or other obstructions may be removed from the circles and any bent pins may be straightened. When the occasion for which the compressor has been disconnected has passed, it may be instantly reconnected with its driving mechanism by be ing allowed to drop until the upper end of the slot 38 strikes the clamp rod, whereupon the hand wheel may be turned to tighten the clamp.

The change gears previously described by which the compressor is initially driven allow the compressor to be operated at any speed desired and with the least possible eX- penditure of power, also with a minimum of frictional loss. The crank pin 2 has a very small diameter as compared with the cocentric previously used with the ordinary dabbing mechanism so that the bearing surface between the same and the connecting rod is made as small as possible; a small amount only of oil is required for lubrication.

It will be observed from Figs. 1 and 2 that the forward edges of the blades 4: are approximately on the center line of the column or pillar 9. The location of the pillar is such that this arrangement brings the front edges of the blades on the line of centers of the inner and outer circle combs,

that is, a radial line passing through the point of tangency of the combs. llhis line for convenience of description I term the tangent line of the combs. Also this edge of the blades is approximately vertical and coincident with the line of travel of the compressor, so that it acts to restrain the wool until the blade is raised sufficiently to permit the wool to pass under the edge thereof and then suddenly compresses the wool into the pins or teeth of the combs. By this arrangement and construction the wool is introduced into the combs at the exact moment desired, which is the moment when the parts of the combs supplied with wool are tangent to each other. For the best work it is desirable that the wool should be placed in the combs at this exact time because otherwise it will not be thoroughly cleaned. That is, if the wool is pushed into the combs too late, there will be a space between the inner and outer combs,-therefore the foreign matter, dirt etc., mixed with the wool, will not be removed, while the same effect occurs if the wool is introduced too soon. In any event it is necessary to a thorough cleaning of the wool that the wool should be supplied to the combs at the moment that they are passing the point of tangency or the tangent line. Furthermore the forward ed 'e of the blade merges with the under edge of the arm 17 on a curve of which the radius is approximately the distance of travel of the combs during the period that the blades remain in the combs. This curvature causes the wool to be gathered in a rounded mass which facilitates its engagementwhen subsequently carried under the blades and its proper feeding into the teeth of the combs. It will also be noted from Figs. 1, 3 and 5 that the extreme ends of the arms 17 are given a sharp upward slant which is provided for the purpose of preventing the wool from climbing over them.

The rigid construction of the compressor having the unyielding blades, and the positive mechanism by which the compressor is driven, enable more wool to be placed in the combs and acted upon than is possible with the old type of dabbing motion. Thus the compressor is enabled to supply a suflicient quantity of wool to the Long and Foster rolls so that the latter may work to their full capacity. It is to be understood that when rolls of the Long and Foster type are employed in the Noble comb or a woolcombing machine of similar nature, a larger quantity of wool can be acted upon than is possible with the ordinary fluted rolls, and it has been my object in the present invention to provide a form of apparatus which would enable the circles to furnish as large a quantity of wool as the rolls can take care of. Therefore by means of the present invention, in connection with the Long and Foster rolls described in the before-mentioned patents, the wool-combing machine is enabled to increase its production to a very large extent.

I do not claim in the present case the feature of frictional sliding contact between the actuating mechanism and the compressor holder, with the means for gripping said holder in adjusted positions upon a part of such mechanism, since this feature is shown and claimed in my co-pending application for dabb ing mechanism, Serial No. 429,865, filed April 29, 1908.

I claim 1. In combination with the circle combs of a wool-combing machine, a slide guided to reciprocate toward and from the combs, a compressor having blades arranged to enter the spaces between the rows of pins of the combs secured to said slide, a bracket projecting from the slide, a driving crank, a connecting rod hung from said crank, a spindle passing through said bracket and joined to said connecting rod, and springs bearing upon the upper and under side of the bracket for yielding-1y applying the thrust of the spindle in either direction thereto.

2. In combination with the circle combs of a wool-combing machine, a slide guided to reciprocate toward and from the combs, a compressor having blades arranged to enter the spaces between the rows of pins of the combs secured to said slide, buffer springs acting oppositely on the slide in the direction of its motion to assist its return at the end of each trip, a driver for reciprocating the slide, and yielding connections interposed! between the driver and slide to transmit the impulses of the former in each direction yieldingly to the latter.

3. In machine of the character described, a compressor comprising a holder having a plurality of parallel laterally projecting studs separated from one another, narrow blades adapted to enter the spaces between the pins of the combs placed on the studs, narrow spacing plates also placed on the studs in such numbers between each two adjacent blades as will cause the blades to aline accurately with the corresponding spaces in the combs, and clamps on the protruding ends of the studs binding the blades and spacing plates into a compact unit.

4. In combination with the combs of a wool-combing machine, a compressor, a holder therefor, arranged to move toward and from the combs, a slide, adjustable clamping means for securing the slide to different points on the holder, a driving mechanism positively actuated in each direction for moving said slide and compressor, and yielding means for transmitting the tpigiust of said driving mechanism to the s 1 e.

5. In a wool-combing machine, the combination with the inner and outer circle combs of such machine, of a slide mounted to reciprocate toward and from said combs, blades rigidly secured to said slide and spaced to aline with the spaces between the teeth or pins of the combs, a second slide having a bracket, a reciprocating driver passing through said bracket, yielding abutments carried adjustably on said driver bearing on opposite sides of said bracket, and clamping means securing said slides detachably to one another. v

6. In a wool-combing machine, in combination with the circular combs thereof, a compressor, a slide mounted to move transversely to the plane of said combs, and to which said compressor is pivoted, blades secured rigidly to and forming part of said compressor located in alinement with the spaces between the rows of pins of the combs, said compressor being adjustable about its pivot to vary the inclination of said blades relatively to the plane of the combs, and clamping means arranged to secure the compressor rigidly to said slide in any of its angular adjustments.

7. In a wool combing machine having circular combs tangent to one another, a compressor having blades spaced to enter between the rows of teeth on the combs, said compressor being located over the combs at their point of tangency with the blades protruding toward the combs, and means for reciprocating said compressor so as to cause its blades to enter and withdraw from the spaces between the comb teeth, the blades of said compressor having their terminations at the end which first encounters the incoming wool located approximately on the line or centers of the combs, and being approximately parallel to the direction of movement of the compressor, whereby to press the wool into the combs abruptly at the point where the combs are closest together.

8. In a wool combing machine, the combination with the circular combs thereof, of a holder, studs projecting from said holders, blades carried on said studs in approximate parallelism and arranged to enter the spaces between the successive rows of teeth of the combs, spacing members filling the spaces between adjacent blades, whereby the latter are maintained in correct alinement with the spaces in the combs, nuts threaded on the ends of said studs crowding said blades and members rigidly into engagement with each other and with the holder, a slide on which said holder is pivoted and with respect to which it is adjustable angularly to vary the inclination of the blades, and mechanism for reciprocating said slide and holder toward and from the combs.

In testimony whereof I have atlixed my signature in presence of two witnesses.

ALBERT LONG.

Nitnesses ARTHUR H. BROWN, P. W. PEZZETTI.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents.

Washington, D. G. I 

